acase@tulane.edu

Traditional databases lack semantic support, whereas existing knowledge-based systems are limited in capacity to supply and maintain large amounts of factual data. A knowledged-based system can provide semantic support to a database system while a database system can aid a knowledge-based system by maintaining data. It is obvious that if we couple these two systems, the functionality of both systems will be enhanced. The main purpose of this dissertation is to develop logical and conceptual data models which are powerful enough to represent and process complex objects that have imprecise properties and use them in large knowledge-based system applications by developing an effective coupling system. In this context, we extend NF$\sp2$ relational and IFO data models to represent and process complex objects along with their imprecise features and propose an efficient coupling system for gaining performance in database and knowledge-based system applications. One of the main objectives of the extended NF$\sp2$ relational and IFO data models is to let the user operate in an environment that models the real world as closely as possible. This objective matches quite well with the idea of large knowledge-based systems and results in an efficient and powerful coupling between databases and knowledge bases / acase@tulane.edu

Vasodilators such as nitric oxide (NO), calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and VIP have an antiproliferative effect on vascular smooth muscle cells and have been suggested as therapeutic targets for primary pulmonary hypertension. One of the features of this disease is the increased proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Cells in the medial layer of the vasculature are usually in a contractile state in vivo however these cells can revert to a synthetic or proliferative phenotype in disease states as well as in response to injury. Recently a decreased level of VIP in the plasma was observed in patients suffering from primary pulmonary hypertension. This has lead to suggestions that this peptide could be another target for future therapies Two type II G-protein coupled receptors VIP/PACAP receptor 1 (VPAC1) and VIP/PACAP receptor 2 (VPAC2) mediate the biological effects of VIP. It has been shown that treatment of cells with VIP resulted in the production of cAMP. However, downstream signals as well as the activation of cGMP and other downstream signals have not been explored This study focuses on the mechanism of the antiproliferative action of VIP on vascular smooth muscle cells using an adenoviral transfer of the VIP gene. We found that adenoviral transfer of VIP resulted in a dose dependent decrease in proliferation. The results suggested the involvement of antiproliferative effect of VIP on vascular smooth muscle cells is mediated via the VPAC 2 receptor leading to the activation of cAMP and subsequently activation of p53 and p21 / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

The high prevalence of heavy alcohol use and its associated consequences in college student populations has been well documented. Studies of adolescent alcohol use patterns show that alcohol-related problems are a function of level of alcohol consumption as well as of other factors, including gender and social learning influences. Although there is evidence that peer influences extend to alcohol-related problems, the role of parent influences in the negative consequences of alcohol use and the potential moderating role of gender in these relationships remains unclear. This study sought to answer the following questions. First, do parent and friend influences extend to the alcohol-related problems of college freshmen, and if so, is their effect mediated by level of alcohol consumption? Second, does gender moderate the relationships between parent and friend influences and alcohol-related problems or between alcohol use and alcohol-related problems? Participants were 260 incoming freshmen (nondrinkers were excluded from analyses) who completed a mail-distributed questionnaire during the first two weeks on campus (Time 1) and two weeks before final exams of the fall semester (Time 2) in exchange for a nominal incentive. Results revealed both direct and indirect paths from Time 1 friend influence variables to Time 2 alcohol-related problems, but parent influences failed to show a relationship with the criterion. Mediation by Time 2 frequency of binge drinking was stronger for perceptions of alcohol use versus perceptions of alcohol acceptability and when predicting moderate versus severe alcohol-related problems. Male participants reported more frequent binge drinking and higher rates of severe alcohol-related problems, but gender did not moderate the effects of friend influences or frequency of binge drinking on alcohol-related problems This study shows that alcohol consumption partially mediates the relationships between friend influences and alcohol-related problems, but that gender does not moderate these pathways, despite its main effects on alcohol consumption and severe alcohol-related problems. Findings suggest that alcohol-related problems of college freshmen are a function of their intoxication, but also of their perceptions of friends' alcohol acceptability and use that may influence their expectations and norms for alcohol use behavior and/or reflect a behavioral disposition towards risk-taking behavior / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

The Intensive Family Preservation Services Model has conventionally been utilized as a final attempt to prevent child removals, a largely residual approach. The target population for intensive family preservation services has almost exclusively been families in acute crisis, at imminent risk of having children removed due to severe child maltreatment or child behavioral problems Evolving federal policy over the past three decades has broadened the application of family preservation programs to families along the continuum of risk. Federal legislation has progressively encouraged and supported movement towards the provision of more intensive services at earlier stages of family disruption, as a proactive, preventive approach to avoid more serious problems in the future. Over the past several years, a single-site intensive family preservation services program, located in Southeast Louisiana, has experienced a distinct shift in the level of out-of-home placement risk of families referred, from high or imminent risk families, to a preponderance of families at low to moderate risk This exploratory, descriptive study, applied a secondary analysis of data from 82 closed case files to consider the application of the Intensive Family Preservation Services Model to families at low to moderate, non-imminent placement risk, a population for whom this model approach was not originally intended. This study provided vital new information about these families to answer three research questions related to demographic and socio-economic characteristics, changes in family functioning and goal accomplishment, and the types and intensity of services received. Further exploration of these variables was conducted in relation to successful and non-successful outcome families Study findings revealed a high degree of homogeneity in demographic and socio-economic attributes of successful and non-successful outcome groups. Results suggest non-imminent risk families experienced positive outcomes if primary caregivers were cooperative, received necessary concrete resources from program workers, accessed recommended resources and referrals, accomplished case plan goals and objectives, and made significant improvement in the various domains of family functioning under consideration The application of the Intensive Family Preservation Services Model to non-imminent risk families appears fairly promising, as a form of early intervention to help prevent the occurrence of more serious risk / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu